Part 5: 4 Areas of Action

Here are 4 areas where you can put truth to action:

1.Think differently. Queer/trans/intersex oppression is directly connected to race and ethnic oppression. Both are rooted in the development and perpetuation of Western culture’s patriarchy. Within a system like this, to do wholly effective work to erase homo/transphobia it must be rooted in anti-racist work and coalition building with IPOC communities, as well as stepping away from Western ways of thinking about gender, sexuality and nature. This is a different legacy we want to pass on–to each other, our kids and families and the next generations. Truth. Equity. Belonging. It already exists. We are waking up to the truth of it and making it known.

That’s why the cover of The Gender Wheel is similar to my other book, When a Bully Is President. They’re connected. Race and ethnicity, and queer/trans/intersex people are all oppressed in the similar ways for the similar reasons.

I created When a Bully Is President: Truth and Creativity for Oppressive Times the day after the 2016 election in response to the stories I was hearing from teachers across the country about how stressed out kids were. We had it published and in-hand by Feb 2017. I never mention #45 in the book because it’s not about him. It’s about the larger system and what stories aren’t being told and how it’s all contributing to what communities are being bullied, specifically related to race and ethnicity, but including people with disabilities, women and girls, the LGBTQIA2S+ community and more. I’ll be honest, I was deeply concerned that kids were internalizing the horrible propaganda I was hearing targeted at our IPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ communities and wanted to step in with some context. The Gender Wheel came out the same year.

2.Speak truth. Break down the binary. Every single step to include a minimum of 6 body types and expand pronouns to include more than two is fabulously valuable. These are two areas where you can literally change yourself and change the world.

If you want to create change, then it’s all about consistency, especially if you have kids or work with kids. Because the truth is, if every single minute of every single day you spoke inclusively about genders and pronouns to your kid, you would still only be a small dent in the barrage of messages they were receiving.

Even kids who can be considered cisgender are jammed up by gender messages. Any serious, and playful acknowledgment of gender diversity provides a rest from the constant need to perform as a boy or a girl for all kids.

Here are two resources. The worksheet includes tools that I use every day and developed from being a parent. Also, having visual reference up like a poster helps keep the conversation open, can help kids understand on multiple levels, and shows that this is not something to be hidden.

3.Interrupt falsehoods. SCHOOLS and LIBRARIES. There are four major areas where change can begin. Choosing any one of them and taking any action would make a profound difference and because they are all connected, ultimately lead to all the other areas. My tactic in my activism and education is to focus on truth and that which cannot be denied.

Multidisciplinary UPDATE for educational materials to include queer/trans/intersex people and experience-Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Health and more

Curriculum Development Worksheet: 2 page worksheet to assist in developing lesson plans that are gender inclusive. The goal here is not to teach about gender but instead to bring gender expansive awareness into everyday lessons. Examples of a potential lesson ideas are provided on worksheet

*an important tool to begin looking at children’s books, (especially nonfiction gender books & workbooks for the young), that support LGBTQI2S+ kids, families, educators and librarians in choosing books that support our community from the inside OUT, taking into consideration truth, power dynamics, suppressed history and first or own voice